Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-09-23
VERMONT PHGNIX, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER % 1887

ideas that could have been in the minds OF
the lawmakers when they said that in
peculiar and special circumstances and con
ditions you might be compelled TO relieve
railway for a limited or unlimited time
from the operation Of the 4th section.
LONG HAUL RATES FOR SHORT DISTANCES
GROSSLY UNJUST.
One word more and / am done. Upon
the evidence as it stands in this case, even
If these short haul rates we're put down 10
the long haul figures, then the short haul
rates would still be grossly unreasonable in
fact | say it is proved to be so by the tes
timony. All tho facts that are put in evil
dence here as 10 how these operations are
carried on and what they get for the work
they do, tend to establish the force of the
statement. Governor Smith told you the
cost OF carrying freight per ton per mile
is, on an average, four mills per ton per
mile over the line complained of, taking the
fast and slow trains together He has told
you about the car service what that is and
how profitable it is TO the company owning
the cars. The stock Of the company whose
cars carry this very freight, and have car
ried it for fifteen years pay dividends from
ten down TO four per cent and on a watered
capital at that. Governor Smith also tells
you that they make money in this long haul
business, and presume he has told as every
body should, all that will be Of benefit 10
his case, although he has not told You how
much they in fact make out of the business
II there is profit in carving a carload
of corn from Detroit, or a carload of hav
or any other commodity from the Canada
line to the line Of New Hampshire or TO
Boston, or rice rersd, at rate Of less than
80 cents per 100 pounds, or whatever it
may be- do not pretend 10 get the frac.
tons, but an enormously less rate than is
charged for the short distance, then the
profits for doing that same kind of work.
over the same line at the same time of year.
at once and half or double the charge.
must be enormously and unreasonably prof
liable This is demonstrable when YOU
look at these statements made here as TO
the rates and take the elements of the cost
and the profit on the car service. When
you find the same kind of work being done
over the same line under the same circum.
stances at half the rate and paying them
profit insist upon it, it is made out as
fully as II ever can be made out in such
cases as this at any time
When 1t is demonstrated that there is "A
profit III the lower rate-the through rate
1t is demonstrated that the greater rate for
the lesser distance is grossly unjust And
even If the short haul rate should be
brought down to the longer haul rate it
would still he grossly unjust in proportion
% the expense of doing the business.
1t is not to be wondered at that the profits
Of the farmer in Vermont, Ohio. Illinois. Or
anywhere else are small. 1t is not b. he
wondered at that they make no profits at
all their profits are apparently somewhere
else. So say that the short haul rates
should at least be brought down to the ba-
sis Of charge for the longer haul That is
what insisted upon last night, and should
have been willing, as stated at that time.
ia the hope Of finishing this matter VI for
the time being u have had this mntter
stand upon the rates being brought down
TO that basis and let the matter stop there.
with liberty, after IA reasonable trial, u ap-
ply to the commission for relief. But we
could not make any arrangement about il.
and therefore having 10 10 through the
whole case, insist that on the evidence in
this case what | have said and claimed as
to the intrinsic unreasonableness Of these
rates is true, and that they would still be
unreasonable, even if brought down 10 the
long haul minimum